The American Academy of Dermatology reported in September that “tattoo regret” is now common in the United States. The observation is consistent with a 2004 survey that found 17% of painted Americans were mulling tattoo removal — despite the procedure’s hefty costs, considerable pain and risk of scarring. An Atlanta dermatologist, Dr. Scott Karempelis, told CNN Sept. 17 that his office is now seeing more than 30 patients a day looking for an erasure. The tattoo-removal business, he said, “is booming.” The Church has no specific teaching on “body art,” recognizing that cultural mores vary from one society to the next. But Scripture reminds us that our bodies are precious temples of the Holy Spirit: God’s property, not our own. “Therefore,” St. Paul exhorts us, “glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Meanwhile, no figures are available on the number of parents who have turned to tattoo-regretful adult offspring in recent years and said, “I told you this day would come.”